COUNCIL ECONOMIC --'

UNITED NATIONS

ECONOMIC AND

SOCIAL COUNCIL

ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR AFRICA Seventh session

Nairobi, 9 - 23 February 1965

Distr.

LIMITED

E!CN.14!L.240!Add.3 20 February 1965 Original: ENGLISH

DRAFT ANNUAL REPORT (Continued) PART II

SEVENTH SESSION OF THE COMlKISSION

N65-258

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E/CN.14/L.240/Add.3

HITERl;A.I'ImiAJ, MJ:HS'rJ.NC1C ill AFRICA

(Ar;smd." j.:..~Gm_~()1

1. In introducing the d i.s cus s ion , the Executive Secretn,:!,y drew attention to tl:"O documents, ItRe:;)ort on peA trechnicr>..l Co-operntion"

(E/CN.14/312) _~.nd "Techniccl .·b8j.st~n'08 Provided to Countries of the ECA Region under the Expanded and HaguLcr Progrc:mrnes" (E/CN.14/334).

He referred specifically to pc.rt n of E/CN.14/312 d.e nLd.ng with bi Le ter-n I aa si s t.ano o r.nd noted that this described offcrs of as si s t.ance to individual countries rather thl1n to the Commi8sioll. He reminded delegl1tions that to take advnrrtags of these offers courtries Hould ha.ve to os t.a'o lish oo nt.act with the donors; the COBoission COQld serve in a liaison "nd co-ordin"ting Cl1pl1city l1b reQuir8d. TC,e document weS not a complete report of bill1teral offers; contacts wer8 still being mad.e -."ith s o ver-r.I countries and the

re~ort would be revised from tLne to time. The Executive Secreto.ry noted that experience hnd s ho irn that thcc e ccunt.r-Les whi c h had the best admini- strative m:cchinery usuo.lly received the most in t8chnicCll assista.nce;

in other words, the amourrt of c.soj.ota:l:.'tce received by o.ny one country was often based not so much on cV2.;1,,'oilit~, of ,',id but up o n the capacity of the recipient countr;y to Clbsora aid,

2.. In the ensuing d"iCCUS3j_O~ ffio.ny co.rne nt s arid suggestions were made on the above-cnenti c neC'. Jo'}urne!1tD~nd on tcchrri.cc.I assist2.nce programmes in general. Sa tisf:<.c-cioH \1'-"1.8 eXlr~'l(!;: sod a'ocut the CommissionIs efforts to co-cor-di no te bil:l.teJ_'rll 0 l'f,-:;r.J and to fostel' integrO-'ti.o n of technica.l assistance pr ogr-amrne s at uot.h GOUDt::,y t""lld regionr:l level. It w,::,s suggested that b'i Lat e r-c.L ;:"nd QuItriLnteca.L n.s si s t.vno e s ho uLd. be considered :\'8 a whole in rel~tion to integrClted development pl~n3. In oo-operation with resident and r cgi onaI r epr e se nt a ti ves, thG Ccruni c si on should continue to assist in the co-cor di n-rt i.on of techm cr-J ae si c tr-nc e offered by the United NatLone , the specin.l iZ0d "-gencies c nd b.iLcter'nL agencies.

3. Too f r e que ntIy there "'"-8 competit i o n between agcnc i.es r.nd govern- ment depl1rtments ",ere of te n und'3r pr easur e to 01 ter priori ties in favour of the projects of o~e or C1~otbcr agcnQY.

4. Many delegations were critical of the unwieldy procedures nnd long, delays in the recruitmGnt of United Nations experts. Re~uests for experts were usually fnirly urgent and if not met within a few months Governments often turned to bilaternl sources. It was felt th~t if reoruitment proce- dures could not be speeG, j "p,countries would begin to lose confidence in the UN programmes and the progr~mme itself would diminish in v~lue. There was also some ori ticism abo ut the len"th of time ^t ake n to process experts^I reports. Sometimes Governments received these reports several months after the departure of the expert, seriously delaying the implementation of the expert's recommendations. Also, on the subject of experts, there was criticism on the grounds th~t pr<-~isGionoriefing wns often innde~uate

end th~t experts fre~uently arrive? v~th no knowledGe of the specific

problem they had to tackle nor of the social, economic and political condi- tions of the country. On the other h~nd, some delegations suggested that experts were less effective th~n they night be not so much bec~use o~ their lack of knowledge but because of failure of the qovernment to organize its programme prrper-Ly ..rnd define wi th r.ccur-acy the job to be Clone by the expert.

5.

Several delegations levelled serious criticism at multilnteral c.nd l;ilatero.l agencies who interf'::ed in the development p Lann.i.ng of

recipient countries. There ,c.ppeared to be ^-i. tendency by donors to auggest thnt they knew whnt was best for the country and therefore hc.d n right to alter priorities. Oommenting on the attitude of donor countries, it was urged in the strongest possiblo terms that :cid .md ^teohru.c a I as si s^{t ..}mce

to under-developed countries should be given without condition and without expectation of something in return. The gnp between the rich nnd the poor was widening and unless wealthy countries g:1ve more generously [\nd without motives of self-interest, the expectations of the people in under-developed countries for better st:cnd~rds of living would not be realized ~nd there could be serious conse~uences for the whole world.

Developing countries wore not c.sh'Cwed te :os/.: for ",id.; history showed that the now prosperous oountries hnd [\t one st~ge reoeived financial

support f r ora more "dv:cnced and we:11 thier 'lreelS. There W'lS r.Lso some ^•

E/CN.14/L.240/Add.3

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oriticism of the pr~otice followed by some developed countries of using developing oountries c,s ~ field for experiment with new eQuipment ~nd

techniQues. Some donors 21so thought first of the politic"l benefits to be derived from their gifts or of the prestige v~lJe of certain projedts rather than of the best interests of the countries concerned.

6.

It w~s suggested that the chief purpose of technical assistanoe was to provide short-term solutions to pressing sooiQl ~nd economic

problems. The long-term solution of under-development lny in the assembling of a sufficient body of trained personnel ~t ~ll levels nnd in ~ll sectors so thnt countries could mnnage their own affairs.

7. Teehnicnl nssistanoe experts wore suocessful if they did themselves out of their job by training counte~~' personnel. Several delegations stressed the vital importanoe of training ~nd urged that training faoili- ties and opportunities be increased both in Afrioc Rnd overseas,

8. Some delegations oonsidered _th~t decentralization of UN teehnionl assistance programmes both from United Nations HeadQuarters to the

Com~ission ~nd from the Comruicsion to sub-regional offioes should be encouraged. Importance ~~s nttached to the service of region~l advisers in meeting requests for short-tero assistance and it wns suggested that the number of advisero assigned to sub-regional offices sh~uld be in- oreased. However, some dissatisfaction woe expressed with the ~mount of money alloo~ted to the Commission's regionel programme, ~nd in partioulQr for regional aQvisers, and it was urged that the target figure for EOA's programme be increased. Interest was shown in the proposed amalgamatioa of EPTA and the Special Fund ~nd the United Notions was reQuested to keep

~ll oountries informed ~bout how this amalgom~tionwould offeet the programming of EFTA 3nd Speci~l Fund requests. In the co-ordinotioa of teohnical assist~nce programmes and in the decentralization of responsi- bility for implemen~tion, the role of the resident representative wae oonsidered to be vitally importnnt ~nd the Commission wus urged to maintain the olosest possible relations with ~B offices in Africa,

9.

There was general agreement on a number of points. The long delay between submission of requests nnd receipt of aid should be given oareful and immediate attention. If the United Nations teohnic~l assistanoe was to be effeotive, present prooedures should be simplified and speeded up.

Secondly, the problem of briefing should also be studiei. At the present time it usually took at least six months before an expert hnd gained sufficient knowledge to be useful in the field ~nd when he was in a posi- tion to make a contribution his contrnct wns often close to expiry.

Thirdly donor countries must recognize thct reoeiving countries had the final ~uthority in determining the priority of their needs. African countries respeoted the teohnic"l experts of the developed countries but ct the same time maintained thnt they alone knew the requirements of their people. Fourthly, donor oouh~ies should not use under-developed countries as fields for experiment in new ideas, techniques and equipment. Rather they should employ methods ~nd equipnent that had proven successful else- where and hadreasonnble ch~nces of sucoess in Africa. Fifthly, teohnical assistance should be given without political strings nnd donors should not expect to derive from it benefits for their own enterprises. They should not seek to take advnntage of the lack of technioal knowled~e and general under-development to direct the economy of the country they olaimed to be helping. Co-ordination of technic~l assistanoe programmes was absolutely essential to avoid the present competition between agencies.

The Commission should assume some-responsibility for this co-ordination and nlso assist in the recruitment of oountry experts. Sixthly, African countries should begin to look for technic~l cssistance end oo-operction from other more ~dvnnced African countries. Several countries h~d now passed through the early stages of economic !evelopment and had developed competence in sever r.L fields such as agrioul ture, small-scale industry and co-operatives. This self-help within Africn should be enoouraged.

Not only could it produce quick, eoonomiccl nnd cppropriate nssistnnoe but it could also help to accelerate the training nnd widen the experience .of personnel (nnd nid giving potential) of the more ndvanced African

oountries.

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PROGRAMME OF ',:ORK AITD PRIORITIES FOR 1965/1966 (Agenda item 11)

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10. In his introductory statement the Executive Secretary referred to the draft programme of work and priorities for 1965/1966 (E/CN.14/3l3/Rev.l) and to a note on the establishment of working parties (E/CN.14/L• 244).

He recalled that there were two standing conferences which met every two years: the Conference of African Statisticians and the Conference of

African Planners. In addition there were three standing committees, ad hoc meetings of a regional character including expert croups, sub-regional

meetings and meetings with a training purpose: seminars and training courses.

He proposed that the standing counu ttees should not be convened until further notice and should be replaced by working parties which would be regional in character covering customs classification and administration; monetary management and international paynents; natural resources; transport;

teleoommunioations; manpower and training; and agriculture. The Committee of 14 set up by the OAU representing the African group on the Trade and Development Board appointed by UNCTAD would serve a similar purpose in its own field. Finally, he suggested that a council of ministers for economic co-operation in Africa be set up to provide the focal point for the review and co-ordination of aid policies and programmes. The new working p~rties

will each have eight members, two from each sub-region. They would be serviced by the secretariat and it was hoped that the OAU would fully associate itself with them. He also repeated a proposal made to the fifth and sixth sessiomthat in future plenary sessions of the Commission should be convened every two years.

11. Most delegates welcomed the proposal to set up the working parties suggested by the Executive Secretary and support was also forthcoming for the proposed council of ministers. It was pointed out that the working parties should not be policy-making bodies but would be concerned with the practical implementation of the decisions of the Commission. They would be able to reanimatQ some of the dormant resolutions and give new impetus to the discussion of problems which had not yet been resolved, e.g. monetary co-operation and African payments union. They would provide an effective link between the growing volume of sub-regional activities and the examination

of regional problems. The new machinery would also provide an effective way of establishing close werking relations with OAD.

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12. Some delegates expressed reservations about the new working parties.

There were doubts about whether they would be capable of representing

Governments. The view was expressed that there was a danger of handing over the discussion cf African development problems to technocrats. There were also doubts on financial grounds and some delegates expressed the view that

the Commission should assume the cost of travel and per diem of delegates.

Tue Executive Secretary pcinted out that this would not be possible within the framework of the rules cf the United N"tions; the cost of participation in representative meetings had to be borne by Governments.

13. Mccuy delegates spoke in favour of holding the plenary session of the Commission every two years since this would facilitate the operation of the new working parties and would reduce costs both tc the Commission and to the smaller and poorer countries who have difficulty in financing delegations to the plenary session every year. Other delegates felt that it would be

desirable to maintain the existing practice of annual sessions. Changes were rapid in Africa and it was important for the COlmnission's highest body not to lose touch lJith the many changing activities being carried out under its auspices. Furthermore, the GAD was geared to annual meetings of its principal organs and its technical counterpart should follow the same practice. It was suggested that an annual session could tackle a smaller number of topics each year. It was also sugg9sted that while the principle of a meeting every two years might be accepted the Executive Secretary should have authority to call additional sessions if there was a real need to do so.

14. The representatives of Governments .in the western sub-region wanted to have a larger number of representatives on the working parties as the

SUb-region included many countries. They had also some objection to the setting up of a council of ministers, whose functions they thought could be carried out by the OAD. Some members thought that it was premature to decide on the establishment of the council of ministers before Governments

p~d been oonsulted. Several delegates were in favour of setting up, at least as an experiment, working groups on the line of the Committee of Nine appointed for the African Development Bank and the adoption of

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four or five priorities. The delegates who were in favour of the Commission meeting an:mally wanted the session to concentrate on a limited number of

problems on which preparatory work had been done and stage reached for conorete action.

15.

At this stage the Executive S',,'cretary made a statement and clarified some of the issues raised by delegates. He said that the ide~ in setting up working parties was to build up the organization from below and not from above and to provide a method of consulting Governments on specific projects and associating them in their execution. In suggesting the establishment of the councils of ministers he wanted to avoid duplication of work between ECA and OAU. The term "representation" should be replaced by "participation"

in order to avoid misconception. The secretariat was to co-operate with the Commission at the working level.

16. The programme of work and priorities was unanimously approved by the Commission.